The Spirit of the Whedonverse

Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel

Buffy seems like a typical teen by day, but she has been imbued with the power to fight dark supernatural beings and save the world…a lot. Vampires are, of course, her main focus, but living at the edge of a hellmouth means knowing how to stop all kinds of demons and monsters, gods and goddesses, from being loosed upon the world. Some are nice though. So with the help of the school well-versed in ancient supernatural information, and her “Scooby gang” of friends, allies and frenemies, they protect their town and save us all.

The core spirit of Buffy is to look beyond appearances and recognize the power within each of us. The ability to channel the power we’ve been given and choose how to use it. That there can be comedy and friendship, while battling dark forces, but that love is stronger than anything.

Firefly / Serenity

Firefly is the class of spaceship that carries the crew of likeable smugglers through space to Wild West worlds, in a future where the remaining superpowers, America and China, have the greatest influence on culture and language. The Captain is an anti-hero whose crew comprises of his (beautiful) next in command from a recent war, a comedic pilot, a (beautiful) mechanic and a mercenary. Along the way they are joined by a courtesan, a clergyman, a doctor and his little sister, recently rescued from secret government experimentation.

Teamwork toward the common goal of freedom binds them together, and the search for peace drives them forward. The ship’s name, Serenity, symbolizes this, and is the title of the film created after the TV series was cancelled. It has spawned an enduring and passionate fan following.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog

Dr. Horrible is the alter-ego of a meek geek. But his goal is to be accepted by a league of villains, and to do so, he must pull off a great evil stunt. He shares his progress on his video blog, and occasionally breaks into song about his goals, the girl he loves, or his nemesis. Apparent do-gooder, Captain Hammer, is actually just arrogant and not interested in anything but acclaim, but Captain Hammer gets the girl, setting up a greater need to prove his worth.

Our real hero is only evil because he seeks acceptance, but is actually the more genuine and heartfelt. The typical good guy is really a self-centered jerk. Music expresses the hidden feelings best and reminds us show the world our true selves to find the people who deserve our acceptance, rather than taking on a persona to gain acceptance from the uncaring.

Dollhouse

A dollhouse is a center which houses “dolls” for hire – people that have had their memories wiped after fulfilling their contract with each client. Though there is a heavy spy-vibe, secret romantic interludes for the very wealthy and public personas are also reasons to hire one of these agents from an underground organization. What the main character, “Echo”, and other dolls find, is that certain parts of their original personalities don’t go away--core things that make them who they really are, beneath it all.

This is an exploration of identity, and where morals fit in with technological development. Our culture identifies heavily with mind and body, but when those are separated or removed from the equation with technology, is there anything left? That is where spirit comes in – love, connection, and authentic free will.

Cabin in the Woods

A twist on the horror film genre, the plot uncovers layer after layer of horror tropes, getting down to supernatural archetypal mythology – a mainstay of the Whedonverse. What seems to be a cruel experiment turns out to be a misguided or intentionally manipulative attempt to save the world. In the process, just about anything that scare us is thrown in the mix, in a meta-horror that also carries the Whedon hallmarks of comedy and otherworld denizens.

There are levels of power in the world, and simply appeasing them through manipulation may not be the best way to manage it. The heroes are those who look beyond the apparent and find the heart of the matter, understand all sides, and make a choice that validates authenticity.

Much Ado About Nothing

The script is Shakespeare’s, largely unchanged, but set in modern times in Joss Whedon’s home in Santa Monica, California. Filmed in black and white, it’s really a passion project, filmed with friends and family we recognize from the Whedonverse while he was on vacation celebrating a birthday milestone. The story of love, society, expectation and betrayal is timeless, and Whedon infuses it with modern sensibility.

The story about real love versus the appearance of love was liberally infused with people and places Whedon loves. Set in their home, designed by his wife, with music created by his brother and sister-in-law, old friends as actors, and a real dinner party as a backdrop, it is the embodiment of taking something timeless and universal, making it personal, and sharing that personal connection with the world at large, making us all feel like we’re in it together.

In Your Eyes

Infusing the paranormal into the romance genre, these strangers are somehow psychically linked. They see what the other sees, and feel what the other feels from across the country. They learn to communicate, connecting in intimate ways that are not physical, but deeply personal.

Our longing for connection is a driving force in each of our lives. We often find ourselves wishing we could communicate in a way that would really make our friends, family and romantic partners understand us and our true feelings. We also long for a connection that validates that we are never alone, never forgotten, never separate from one who loves us. And even though many of us find that through faith, the dream of having it be more than faith, something tangible in the world, endures.

Avengers / Age of Ultron /Agents of SHIELD

The Marvel comic superheroes created by Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby have teamed up in films written and directed by Joss Whedon. Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), brings together Black Widow, Captain America, the Hulk, Iron Man and Thor to fight an alien menace. The Agents of SHIELD can be seen on television, in a series by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen.

In this blockbuster franchise, Whedon worked within an existing universe with characters that were already known to a great extent by fans of the comic books and other incarnations. He brought his sense of comedy, struggles with morality and belief, and the underlying power of love and teamwork to the mix. Superheroes have an archetypal quality that he explored in his previous work, and helps us all find the hero within each of us.